Electric time-switch.



No. 725,444. PATENTED APR. 14, 1903. E. HEMPHILL.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1902.

NC MODEL.

IET J-w- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI I-IEMPIIILL, OF AVALON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TOWILLIAM J ONES, OF BELLEVUE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC TIME-SWITCH. I

SPECIFICATION forming part o Letters PatentNo. 725,444, dated April 14,1903. Application filed July 15, 1902. 3 Serial No. 115,648 '(Ndniodel-lTo all whmn it may con/eerie.-

Be it known that I, ELI HEMPHILL'a citizen of the Unit'ed S tates ofAmerica, residing at Avalon, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania,fhave invented certain new and useful Improvements inTime-Switches for Electric Lights, of which thefollowing is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.1

[O This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements intime-switchesjfor electric lights, and has for its objectthe prof visionof novel means whereby the electric lights used within a building or thelike may be automatically lighted or turned out.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch wherein I provideclock mech anism for operating said switch in disconnecting andconnecting the currents of elec- 2o tricity for supplying the lights.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a time-switch whichwill beex'tremely simple in construction, strong, durable, com-'paratively inexpensive to manufacture,

2 5 highly eflicientin its operation,and one which may be used upon anyform of light wherein an electric circuit is used.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construc- 0 tion, combination, and arrangement of parts to behereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out inthefclaims. In describing the invention in detail reference is had'tothe accompanying drawings, 5 formingapart of thisspecificatiomandwhere-' in like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughoutboth views, in whi'ch- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of thetime-switch, and 2 is a top plan View 01": 0 the same.

In thedrawingsthe reference-numeral 1 indicates a casing having a hingedtop 2.

The reference 'numeral 3 indicates the hinges, and the numeral irepresents the 5 catch for locking the lid of said casing.

Within said casing are secured the timeclocks 5 and 6, said clocks beingof the ordinary alarm construction, and to hold said clocks within thecasing I provide a metallic 5o band 7, which passes around the clocksand is secured to the lid, as indicated at 8, so that when the casing isopened the clocks will be lifted out so the same may be set and wound.

Upon the top of said lid I secure a plate 9, said plate carrying plates10, which carry the binding-posts 1'1. Ongthe inner endof said plateslO'are'the up wardly-extending metallic strips 12 ,which form thecontacting-points for the connecting and breaking ofthe electricalcircuit.

The reference-numerals 14 and 15 indicate standards carried upon theplate 9, said standards having arms .16 pivotedtherein, these arms beingconnected by a strip 17, and to the center of said strip is secured theopcrating-lever 18. These arms 16 form a bridge in connection with thecross-barlli, and to v the under face of the strip 16 is secured themetallic plates 19. Upon the outer end of the casing, as indicated at20, are secured the springs 21 and 22, said springs being further heldby a metallic strip 23, carried upon the end of. the plate 9. The spring21is semielliptical 'in form, and it extends upwardly at a slight angle,as indicated by the nuineral 24' and shown in Fig; 1 of the draw-. ings.j'lh'e spring 22 extends outwardly and engages upon'the under face of anangle-iron 24, carried by the cross-bar 17, the upper end of thisangle-bar being hook-shaped, as indicated at 25. In the forward end ofthe plate 9 is formed an aperture 26, corresponding to an aperture 27,formed in the lid 2 of the casing 1, and'upon' each side of theaperture-2o"are mounted the bearings 28, which in turn carry a shaft 29,and upon this shaft is mounted'the lever 30, saidlever having its upperendfhookQshaped, as indicated at 31, and to the lower end of saidleverisconnected a bar I 32, which extends ,downwardly'. at a 0' slight angleand is connected to the alarm 33 of the clock mechanism carried bythe'clock 5. The reference-numeral 34 indicates'a spring mounted withinthe apertures 26 and 27, said spring bearing against the lever 30, thefunction of said spring to be hereinafter described. Thereference-numeral 35 indicates a standard mounted upon the rear end ofthe lid 2, and to the top of said standard is pivoted the bell-cranklever 36, said lever being pivoted, as indicated at '37, and carryingthe hookarm 38. The other arm of said bell-crank I follows: As themechanism shown in Fig. 1

indicates that the current is broken by means of the metallic plate 19being disengaged from the strips 12 and held so by means of thespring22, it being desired to set my improved time-switch the clocks 5 and 6are set at a predetermined time at which the lights are to be lighted orturned out, and it being desired to light the lamps the arm 18 is pulleddownwardly until the hooked end 31 of the lever 30 engages the cross-bar17, thus holding the arms 16 down, contacting the plate 1!) with themetallic strips 12, and while these plates are in contact the electriclights will be lighted until the alarm mechanism carried by the clock 5is operated, which will move the alarm-arm 33, disengage the hook 31from the cross-bar 17, and allow the operating-arm 18 to move upwardly,this operation being facilitated by means of a spring 22, thus breakingthe circuit, causing the lights to be extinguished, and the spring 34will return the arm 30 to itsnormal position preparatory to its nextuse.

The mechanism I have just described and the operating of the same isthat employed when the lights are supposed to be lighted and it isdesired to extinguish the same, and the mechanism which I employ tolight the lights is operated similarly. The lever 18 is pulledrearwardly, engaging the spring 21, this movement being continued untilthe hooked end 25.engages beneath the hooked arm 38, and the clock beingset at a predetermined time the alarm will be operated, which will causethe lever 36 to be pulled forward, releasing the angle-bar 2%, and thespring 21 will force the arm 18 forward until the hooked end 31 engagesthe cross-bar 17, looking the same and completing the circuit by meansof the metallic plate 19 engaging the metallic strips 12, thus causingthe lamps to be lighted. This arm 18 will be held in this position untilthe alarm carried by the clock 5 is operated, thus releasing the same.

It will'be noted that this time-switch may be used with a single alarmor adouble alarm, and, for the purpose of illustration, if it is desiredto light the lamps ofa building at nine oclock and extinguish the sameat twelve oclock the switch may be set at six oclock and the lights willbe lighted at the desired time and extinguished at twelve.

While I have shown the most practical embodiment of my invention, itwill be obvious that various changes may be made in the de tails ofconstruction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character set forth,ithe combination of atime-controlled switch, means whereby said switch may be thrown to aclosed position, means for automatically locking the same in saidposition, means for releasing said switch from its locked position toopen the same, and means for locking said switchin its open position,substantially as described.

2. In a time controlled mechanism, the combination of a casing, a switchsecured to the casing, a pair of locking means therefor, meansfol-automatically throwing said switch into locked engagement with oneof the lock ing means, means for automatically releasing the same, andmeans for automatically moving said switch into and out of engagementwith the other locking means, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a switch,means for locking said switch in a closed position, means for throwingsaid switch to an open position, when released, means for locking saidswitch in an open position, and means for throwing said switch toaclosed position and overcoming the second-named means, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination with a pair of locking means spaced apart, aswitch-arm arranged between the said locking means, said switcharm beingadapted to be moved manually into engagement with one of the saidlocking means, means for releasing the said switcharm for engagementwith the said last-named locking means, and means for automaticallyswinging the said arm into and out of engagement with the other lockingmeans, substan tially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing,a lid hinged thereto having a clock-movement secu red tothe same, meansconnected with said clock-movement whereby said switch is automaticallyclosed and opened at a predetermined time, substantially as described.

6. In a time-controlled mechanism, a casing, a lid hinged thereto, aswitch secured on said lid, a clock-movement secured to the said lid andwithin said casing, means actuated by said clock-movement and extendingthrough said lid whereby the said switch is automatically closed andopened at a predetermined time, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ELI HEMPHILL.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER.

ICC

